'Elvis'
appearing in Pell City for shelter fund-raiser

Laura
Nation 08-18-2004 (Daily Home Online)

He’s
just back from Memphis, where he claimed the title of 2004
World Champion in the Images of the King competition. And
‘Elvis’s’ first trip back on stage is Saturday night in Pell
City when he appears for the Animal Shelter of Pell City’s
Fur Ball at Celebrations.

David
Lee entertains at 8 p.m., bringing to life the songs that
made Elvis Presley a household word all over the globe. For
the past 9 years, Lee has traveled extensively, both for competitions
and for bookings as an Elvis impersonator.

In
July, Lee claimed another top award, the Collingwood competition
held in Ontario, Canada, and became the first Elvis tribute
artist to take both titles in the same year.

For
the Images of the King competition, Lee performed “Fever,”
“Unchained Melody,” and “Promised Land,” among other Elvis
favorites. “He got a standing ovation before he sang a note,”
said Carole Polk of Pell City, Lee’s publicist.

When
he sang, Polk said Lee’s vocals were “right on the mark.”
For Saturday night’s fund-raiser, Lee will mingle with the
crowd, moving among the tables set up for guests for the event.
The Fur Ball begins at 6:30 p.m. and a buffet of hors d’ oeuvres
opens at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available for guests as
well.

Tickets
for the Fur Ball are $75 for couples, and $40 for singles.
Corporate table sponsorships for eight are available for $500,
and tables for four are $300. The fund-raiser helps pay for
services such as the ASPC’s SNAPS program for reduced cost
spay and neutering, educational programs for the public and
for care for animals housed at the ASPC shelter.

Designated
as a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization, ASPC depends heavily
on donations and gifts from supporters for its operations.
There is a goods value of $30 for each person attending the
Fur Ball.

Lee
is a native of Tarrant, and didn’t plan to become an entertainer
at all. He was riding back and forth to work with a friend
when he got his real introduction to Elvis Presley’s music.
He got hooked on the music, and started listening to Presley
himself. It wasn’t long before Lee was singing along to an
Elvis tune and a friend told him he sounded just like the
late entertainer.

Lee
brushed the remark off, but kept on singing and found himself
entering his first competition that same year. He ended up
in third place the first time he entered the Images of the
King event. Last year, Lee placed second, and vowed to take
the title this year. Along with the Images of the King award,
Lee received the People’s Choice award this year.

Polk
said she was thrilled that Lee’s first performance since bringing
home the titles will be in her home area of Pell City. Lee
said he hopes his delivery of Elvis music helps spark a new
generation of Elvis fans. Lee himself was just 4-years-old
when Elvis died, and didn’t grow up hearing the King at his
height.

Lee’s
style of representing the late entertainer is as realistic
as he can make it. There’s no wig, the hair’s his, and so
are the sideburns. He puts as much into the outfits he wears,
and now has a collection of more than 20 jumpsuits tailor
made to his order.